pflegen

== German == === Etymology === From Middle High German phlëgen, from Old High German plëgan, from Proto-West Germanic *plehan. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈpfleːɡən/, [ˈpfleːɡən], [ˈpfleːɡŋ̩] (standard) IPA(key): /ˈfleːɡən/ (most speakers in northern and central Germany) === Verb === pflegen (weak, third-person singular present pflegt, past tense pflegte, past participle gepflegt, auxiliary haben) or pflegen (class 4 strong, third-person singular present pflegt, past tense pflog, past participle gepflogen, past subjunctive pflöge, auxiliary haben) providing care or service for someone/something [weak verb] (transitive, medicine) to nurse; to care for someone in poor health jemanden gesund pflegen ― to nurse someone back to health Kranke pflegen ― to care for the sick (transitive) to take care of, to tend to, to maintain sein Äußeres pflegen ― to take care of one's appearance die Zähne pflegen ― to take care of (one's) teeth Der Gärtner pflegt den Garten. ― The gardener tends to the garden. Sie hat sich stets sehr gepflegt. ― She has always taken care of her appearance. (literally, “She has always taken care of herself.”) Er setzte sich faul hin und pflegte sich. ― He sat down lazily and went easy on himself. (literally, “He sat down lazily and looked after himself.”) Daten pflegen ― to maintain data (keep up-to-date) (intransitive, archaic) [with genitive ‘something/someone’] to improve or care for something in an intellectual sense [weak or strong verb] (transitive) to cultivate; to foster; to nurture; to maintain Freundschaften pflegen ― to cultivate friendships Beziehungen pflegen ― to cultivate relationships Künste und Wissenschaften pflegen ― to advance/promote the arts and sciences (intransitive, higher register or poetic) [with genitive ‘something’] der Liebe pflegen ― to cultivate/nurture love der Ruhe pflegen ― to foster tranquility expressing habituality [weak or strong verb] (transitive) to carry out regularly Umgang pflegen ― to regularly be in contact Geselligkeit pflegen ― to socialize regularly (literally, “to regularly engage in gregariousness”) (intransitive) to perform habitually; to be accustomed (to); to be in the habit (of) [with zu (+ infinitive) ‘doing something’] Ich pflege zu laufen. ― I usually walk. Er pflegte zu reisen. ― He used to travel. ==== Usage notes ==== In the sense of providing care or service, pflegen is conjugated as a weak verb. For the other senses, both weak and strong conjugations are found. The weak conjugation is prevalent; the strong conjugation is generally dated or used in a higher register. ==== Conjugation ==== or ==== Derived terms ==== Pflegen, Pfleger, Pflegung einpflegen, erpflegen, verpflegen pfleglich, Gepflogenheit (based on the past participle gepflogen) === Further reading === “pflegen”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎[1] (in German) “pflegen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon “pflegen” in Duden online “pflegen” in OpenThesaurus.de “pflegen” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961. Friedrich Kluge (1883), “pflegen”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891